In the Arms of Those Who Care
by Kejfe Blintz
Summary: Harry is treated to a glimpse of the love he should have been surrounded with, had circumstances been different. SBRL


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the idea, even then that's debatable...

**Warning: **Non-explicit slash relationship. Consider yourself warned.

* * *

"Harry, is that you?"

Harry stuck his head through the doorway of the small sitting room they'd uncovered at Headquarters in answer to Sirius' question.

"Are you busy?"

Harry shook his head and came fully into the room.

"I was wondering whether you might want to play a game of Wizard's Chess with me?"

"Um, sure."

At Harry's agreement Sirius visibly relaxed. He'd been in a monumental sulk for the previous few days and even Harry had been avoiding him, but now it appeared to Harry that he'd cheered up somewhat and was offering the proverbial olive branch. They seated themselves on the floor in front of the fireplace, where a roaring fire blazed in the grate, and set up the chess set between them. Silence enveloped the room, broken occasionally by the chess pieces shouting advice, and it was only when Harry had him backed into a corner that Sirius spoke once more.

"I never was much of a chess player; it was more Moony's thing than mine."

Harry glanced up from planning his next move and caught a brief wistful expression pass across his godfather's face.

"Ron's much better than I am, I can never think far enough ahead. When is Professor Lupin back anyway? He's been away ages."

"Tonight. He'd much rather you call him Remus you know, 'Professor Lupin' sounds so stuffy and un-Moonyish."

"I'll try and remember, it just feels weird. Checkmate." He grinned at Sirius.

"What? Grr, never mind. Exploding Snap?"

Harry looked closely at Sirius, noting his agitation and unsettled movements.

"Are you alright Sirius?"

"Hmm? Yes, yes of course."

"It's just that you seem jittery."

Sirius instantly stilled, much to the relief of the pawn he'd been shuffling aimlessly around the board.

"No, I'm fine."

Harry looked at him skeptically and was gifted with one of his rare flashes of insight.

"So what time's Prof…Remus due back?"

"Oh around 9ish…" said Sirius, aiming for nonchalance and missing landing instead somewhere around an unmanly squeak.

Harry glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, 8.45pm. Harry smiled to himself. A conversation with Hermione and Ginny earlier that day had proved to be quite enlightening regarding the exact nature of the relationship between his godfather and the scholarly werewolf. He'd been horrified when the girls had mentioned casually that the reason for Sirius' foul mood was the lengthy absence of Remus, who was away on Order business, as anyone kept apart from their partner in such circumstances was bound to be a bit tetchy. Harry had scoffed at the idea at first, but after a shared exasperated look between the girls they had presented the evidence for their case. After that conversation and further reflection, Harry had to admit the girls might be on to something. All the looks and touches that passed between Remus and Sirius were too frequent and too…intimate…to be strictly platonic. He'd mentioned the girls' theory to Ron, however Hermione's description of Ron having the 'emotional range of a teaspoon' was once again accurate as he'd merely howled with laughter and declared Hermione and Ginny "delusional". Ignoring, not for the first time, his best friend's reaction Harry had resolved to think no more on the subject unless he was forced to. Now it appeared he was going to be confronting the topic sooner than he anticipated, but Harry wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

"You'll be pleased to have him back then?" Harry questioned.

"I just need to know he's safe."

As Sirius started to pace around the room Harry packed away the chess set and sat on the sofa.

"How long have you been together?"

Harry's innocent sounding question stopped Sirius' pacing abruptly.

"We, I…erm, sorry?"

"You and Remus, how long have you been together?"

Sirius borrowed a deer-in-the-headlights expression from a much loved fellow Animagus.

"Who says we're together?" he eventually squeaked.

"I don't mind you know. I'm glad you both have someone."

"You are?"

Harry nodded, causing Sirius to sigh deeply and slump on the sofa beside him.

"We were going to tell you eventually, just Remus thought it might be too much too soon you know? You really don't mind?"

"I really don't mind."

Sirius flung his arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, relieved that he'd taken it so well. Someone cleared their throat quietly, making them spring apart.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Moony!"

Sirius launched himself from the sofa and crossed the room in quick, long strides. He stopped inches from the exhausted man leaning against the door frame and frantically began to run his hands over Remus, down his arms, across his torso, fluttering over his face.

"I didn't hear you come in, are you alright? Where were you? Are you hungry? Oh Remus I've been so worried, I didn't think you'd come back…"

"Easy Pads, I'm tired but I'm alright."

Remus took hold of the frantic hands and soothed them with his thumbs, gazing affectionately at his mate.

"I'd like to sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea, then I'm sure I'll feel much better." He turned his attention to Harry, who'd been trying unsuccessfully to make himself invisible. "Hello Harry, are you alright?"

Harry nodded as Sirius lead Remus over to the sofa, where he eased himself down with a soft grunt. Sirius immediately started fussing over him, removing shoes and unclasping the much-repaired travelling cloak and tossing them into an empty armchair.

"Harry would you mind making some tea?" Remus asked.

"No, not at all."

"Hey Harry, bring yours back here too?" said Sirius, more of a question than a request. Harry nodded and left to make the tea.

Harry took a little longer than was strictly necessary to make three cups of tea and find the last slices of one of Mrs. Weasley's cakes, wishing to give Sirius time to assure himself of Remus' continued existence without an audience. He loaded everything onto a tray and took it back to the sitting room as requested. He pushed open the partially closed door and was greeted by the sight of Remus sitting contentedly in Sirius' arms, head resting on his shoulder and speaking softly. Sirius was holding him close and was obviously relishing in his presence. Harry slid the tray onto a side table and rattled the cups to alert them to his return. Remus jumped and made to move away but Sirius stopped him with a gentle arm around his waist.

"It's alright Moony, he knows."

Remus adopted the same borrowed deer-in-the-headlights expression seen on Sirius earlier in the evening.

"But we agreed…not yet…too young…"

Sirius hushed him and ran his fingers through the graying hair of the babbling man in his arms.

"He worked it out. Turns out he's not as daft as he looks."

"Hey!"

"Sorry Harry." Sirius didn't look in the least bit apologetic as he grinned at his godson. Harry handed him a cup of tea with a mock growl which only served to make Sirius' grin grow wider.

"See Moony, he takes after us! Isn't it sweet?"

Remus had calmed enough to accept his tea and ease back into the arm Sirius still had curled around his waist, but he still had a hunted look about him. Sirius patted the space on the sofa beside him and Harry settled down with his own tea.

"Prof…Remus I'm alright with it, honest."

At Harry's words Remus seemed to relax further and sipped his tea.

"Well you're taking it better than Prongs and W…than Prongs did, that's for sure." Sirius said.

"Really?" Harry was as eager as ever to hear stories regarding his parents.

"Your father didn't speak to us for a week. Your mother knew before we did of course." Remus said.

"Scarily intuitive woman, your mother. She was the one to talk Prongs round though. He eventually accepted it, but banned us from 'canoodling in the Common Room and the like' as he put it."

"He gave up in the end. Dear Prongs had the worst timing and was always bursting through the door at inopportune moments. Eventually he decided that if we were snuggling in the Common Room he'd know where we were and what we were doing, therefore less likely to see something he really didn't want to."

Such an open confession from his quiet ex-Professor surprised Harry and it must have shown on his face as Sirius laughed at him.

"Of course with me being the shy and retiring type" Remus scoffed at Sirius' pronouncement, "and Moony here being such a blatant exhibitionist…"

"Try that the other way around Pads." Remus interjected. Sirius merely talked over him.

"We balanced each other out so the rest of Gryffindor weren't always treated to a show."

Harry laughed along with Sirius and watched Remus relax into a boneless sprawl as the tea and the heat from the fire worked their magic. He marveled at how easy they were together and wondered if his parents had the same ease in their relationship. Harry realized with a jolt that he was being treated to a glimpse of the love he should have been surrounded by had circumstances been different, and had to swallow the lump which formed suddenly in his throat. As Remus laid his head on Sirius' shoulder and closed his eyes, a long-forgotten memory sparked in Harry's mind.

"You used to sit like that at my parent's house."

Sirius looked surprised.

"Merlin, how did you remember that?"

Harry shrugged. "It just came to me."

"Lily thought it was adorable." Remus said sleepily. Sirius gazed at him fondly and tucked an escaped strand of honey-coloured hair back behind his ear.

"No Moony, Lily thought you were adorable. You could do no wrong in her eyes. I, on the other hand, was an incurable reprobate who insisted on corrupting you and bringing about your eventual downfall."

"But she loved you anyway." Remus' statement was muffled by Sirius' shoulder.

"That she did. Even the great Lily Evans was unable to resist my charm. If it wasn't for Prongs' desperation and the fact I was head over heels in love with you, we would have had a torrid affair and eloped to Maui."

"Harry do you see what a modest fellow your godfather is? Please for Merlin's sake do not emulate him in this respect."

Harry had been following their gentle banter with amusement and now outright grinned as Sirius attempted to look affronted.

"Moony my love, do us all a favour and kindly go to sleep."

"Gladly."

Harry rescued the now empty tea cup from Remus' lax grip and took the one Sirius held out to him, replacing them on the tea tray. He returned to the sofa beside Sirius and the seemingly asleep Remus only to find himself hauled over to lean against his godfather. A warm arm curled around his waist holding him snugly. Unsure of what was expected of him in this situation, Harry sat stiffly until a soft voice spoke near the top of his head.

"Relax little one it's alright. I want to cuddle with my family."

Sirius' affirmation calmed him and Harry wormed an arm around his waist, resting his head on the shoulder not occupied by Remus. To his surprise and delight, Remus laid his arm above the one Sirius had around Harry's waist adding his own comfort. Harry closed his eyes and allowed his other senses to take over. He could hear the crackling of the fire in the grate warming the room on this cold, damp night, their steady breathing synchronizing as they dozed on the sofa. He could smell the sharp, slightly doggy, slightly alcoholic scent of Sirius mixing with the musky, earthy slightly damp scent of Remus. He could feel the combined warmth of their bodies from the tangle they were sprawled in, but mostly he could feel the comfort of family surrounding him. For the first time in a very long time, Harry felt he belonged.


End file.
